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Today’s PrideNomad™ Quiz:

In Today’s Email:

Mea Culpa: Someone forgot to hit SEND.

New Feature: Introducing Mexico Week!

Destinations: The Mexico Border-Run is Dead 

Where to Next?: Your votes are in…

Nomad News: Moldova joins the Digital Nomad Fray

MEA CULPA:

True Confessions.

Well, this is embarrassing.

Last week I spent hours crafting what I thought was one of my favorite newsletters for you.

Had some important news to share...

Plus all the usual PrideNomad goodness you've come to expect.

But when nobody responded, I just shrugged.

Sometimes it feels like we're writing into a void anyway, you know?

Then this week... I opened our publishing app and nearly spit out my honeydew green tea.

The damn newsletter was sitting in "draft" status.

How the hell does THAT happen?

I was literally telling a friend this morning that we've NEVER missed a Tuesday deadline.

Famous last words, apparently.

So here I am, eating crow and apologizing for not filling your inbox with the usual Tuesday love.

My bad.

The good news?

That "lost" newsletter is actually pretty solid.

(At least I think so... hard to judge when it's been trapped in digital purgatory.)

So you're getting it now.

Better late than never, right?

--Ken

P.S. I've triple-checked the send button this time. If this somehow ends up in drafts too, just assume I've been abducted by aliens.

NEW FEATURE:

🌍 Introducing Mexico Week!

By popular demand, we’re testing something new: Deep Dive Weeks.

At least once a month, PrideNomad will go all-in on a single destination — one daily “missive” (yes, we’ll go daily) for a full week. Think of it as a crash course you can read with your morning coffee: visas, housing, budgets, queer community, and more. A little morsel of “Destination Porn” to spice up your day. 🌮

This week? Mexico.

Since you’ve voted overwhelmingly for Mexico to be the next Soft Landing Plan, each day you’ll get one sharp, usable insight from it. Consider it a taste of the full report, which will be released on Sept 17. And if you want to take it further, the full Plan — plus my book No Closets. No Borders and a live AMA with Mexico expert Shasta Townsend — is waiting for you (at half price, too!).

💡 The Secret Map Bonus:

Because Mexico is too good not to share, here’s a treat:

Bring in just 2 new readers this week using your personal share link below, and we’ll send you PrideNomad’s Secret Map: 5 Hidden Queer Gems of Mexico — a private mini-guide we’ll never post publicly.

Just use the link below… (Remember, the Secret Map Bonus expires next Tuesday (when we drop the next edition of the PrideNomad Letter).

DESTINATIONS:

The Border-Run is Dead — What Every Mexico Dreamer Needs to Know

For years, thousands of expats coasted by in Mexico on “perpetual tourist” status. The playbook was simple: fly in, get stamped for 180 days, hop to Guatemala or Houston for a weekend when the clock ran out, and repeat.

That era is over.

In 2025, Mexico’s immigration agency (INM) quietly tightened the screws. The law hasn’t changed — visitor permits can still be issued for up to 180 days — but the enforcement has. Today, agents regularly hand out 15-, 30-, or 60-day stamps that match your return ticket, not your dream of a half-year in Roma Norte .

Why the shift? Three forces collided:

1. Geopolitical optics. Mexico is under pressure from the U.S. to prove it’s policing its borders. Western “perpetual tourists” became an easy, visible target.

2. Digital tracking. With airports moving to QR-coded digital permits, INM now sees your entire entry/exit history at a glance. They know if you’ve been stringing together back-to-back stays.

3. Internal shake-ups. Leadership changes inside INM have unleashed inconsistent — sometimes arbitrary — enforcement at ports of entry. One officer might give you three months; the next, just ten days.

For PrideNomads, the stakes are even higher. Housing hunts, job interviews, and community integration can all collapse if your legal stay is suddenly chopped down mid-stream. You can’t exactly build a life if you’re never sure whether you’ll be forced out before the month ends.

So what’s the solution? Temporary Residency.

It may sound daunting, but it’s now the only stable pathway for anyone planning to spend serious time in Mexico. The good news: once you secure it, you unlock real stability — the ability to rent long-term, open a bank account, and stop living in fear of the next passport stamp.

The romanticized border-run chapter of Mexico expat life is finished. The sooner you plan around that reality, the smoother your landing will be.

➡️ On September 17, we’re releasing the Mexico Soft Landing Plan — a full insider guide to making Mexico work long-term, from visas to housing to queer community safety. If you’ve ever dreamed of building your base here, this is the playbook you’ll want on your desk.

My friend Mario says: “You didn't just write a guide. You wrote the DEFINITIVE resource for queer Mexico moves.” Thanks, Mario!

THE VOTES ARE IN:

🇲🇽 Next Stop: Mexico

You voted, we listened.

Of the three contenders (Thailand, Spain, and Mexico), one country ran away with it.

Mexico snagged 57% of the vote.

I was surprised--totally expected Thailand to run away with it!

So that’s why we’re introducing Mexico Week today. And next week, we're dropping the Mexico Soft Landing Plan for you.

It’s your step-by-step escape guide to building a life in one of the world's most vibrant, affordable, and queer-friendly destinations.

Here's what's inside:

• 🌈 The best LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Mérida & beyond
• 🛂 Visa & residency routes explained in plain English (no legal jargon BS)
• 🏡 Housing, rentals, and relocation hacks that save you thousands
• 🏥 What you really need to know about healthcare and safety
• 💸 Honest cost-of-living breakdowns (not the sugar-coated expat blogs)
• 🤝 How to plug into local queer communities fast

Fair warning: the Portugal plan sold out during launch week.

The Mexico Plan will be $197 after release.

But right now? You can lock in your copy for just $97.

[Reserve My Mexico Plan - $100 Off] Plus some surprise bonuses—including an exclusive Ask Me Anything Call with our favorite PrideNomad Mexico Expert, Shasta Townsend.

Delivered straight directly to your inbox on September 17.

SHOUTOUT:

NOMAD NEWS:

Moldova Just Became Europe’s Best-Kept Digital Nomad Secret (And Barely Anyone’s Talking About It)

While everyone’s fighting over Portugal visas or getting ghosted by Estonia, Moldova just slid into the chat with one of Europe’s most accessible digital nomad programs.

Yes, Moldova. The country most nomads couldn’t find on a map now wants you to move in — legally, cheaply, and fast.

Here’s the deal:

• Visa length: One year, extendable to two. Some can stretch to five if you register locally.

• Requirements: Laughably simple.

  → Passport valid 6+ months

  → Proof of $1,500–2,000/month income

  → Health insurance (one year)

  → Clean criminal record

  → Accommodation proof (yes, Airbnb counts)

  → Remote work contract

• Processing fee: €40–80. Portugal charges €90 just to apply — then leaves you hanging for six months.

• Taxes? A flat 12% personal income tax. No hidden extras, no bureaucratic migraine.

So why Moldova?

Because this is Europe without the Western European price tag. Rent runs $300–500/month for a decent spot in Chișinău. Dinner out? Under $10. And Moldova’s vineyards pump out wine that rivals Tuscany — minus the Instagram hordes inflating your bill.

Infrastructure? Better than you’d expect. The internet’s solid, coworking spaces are growing, and Chișinău has that “pre-trend” vibe where you can still be early, not follower #47,000.

And unlike Portugal or Spain, Moldova isn’t demanding proof you’re rolling in cash. They don’t want your trust fund; they want your paperwork and forty euros. That’s it.

The catch? The program’s so new the government hasn’t even updated its own visa pages properly. You’ll need to dig into Moldova’s Bureau of Migration and Asylum site to find the real application steps. But that’s exactly why this is such a sweet spot: most nomads won’t bother.

So ask yourself: do you want to keep elbowing your way into overcrowded cafés in Lisbon… or be among the first wave sipping $3 glasses of wine in Europe’s most overlooked capital?

Your call. But don’t wait too long. The moment the big nomad blogs catch on, Moldova’s “hidden gem” status disappears.

Final thought: Yes, Moldova is safe. No, it’s not Russia. And yes — the Wi-Fi is fine.

Answer to Today’s Quiz

Want the Secret Map? Share with 2 friends this week!

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